diff --git a/gunicorn/http/parser.py b/gunicorn/http/parser.py
index 4cc4431d..dfc535ea 100644
--- a/gunicorn/http/parser.py
+++ b/gunicorn/http/parser.py
@@ -36,11 +36,9 @@ class Parser(object):
         if parsing isn't done. headers dict is updated
         with new headers.
         """
-
-        s = "".join(buf)
-        i = s.find("\r\n\r\n")
+        i = buf.find("\r\n\r\n")
         if i != -1:
-            r = s[:i]
+            r = buf[:i]
             pos = i+4
             return self.finalize_headers(headers, r, pos)
         return -1
@@ -142,11 +140,10 @@ class Parser(object):
         return False
         
     def read_chunk(self, data):
-        s = "".join(data)
         if not self.start_offset:
-            i = s.find("\r\n")
+            i = data.find("\r\n")
             if i != -1:
-                chunk = s[:i].strip().split(";", 1)
+                chunk = data[:i].strip().split(";", 1)
                 chunk_size = int(chunk.pop(0), 16)
                 self.start_offset = i+2
                 self.chunk_size = chunk_size
@@ -157,7 +154,7 @@ class Parser(object):
                 ret = '', data[:self.start_offset]
                 return ret
             else:
-                chunk = s[self.start_offset:self.start_offset+self.chunk_size]
+                chunk = data[self.start_offset:self.start_offset+self.chunk_size]
                 end_offset = self.start_offset + self.chunk_size + 2
                 # we wait CRLF else return None
                 if len(data) >= end_offset:
@@ -167,8 +164,7 @@ class Parser(object):
         return '', data
         
     def trailing_header(self, data):
-        s = "".join(data)
-        i = s.find("\r\n\r\n")
+        i = data.find("\r\n\r\n")
         return (i != -1)
         
     def filter_body(self, data):
@@ -185,7 +181,7 @@ class Parser(object):
         else:
             if self._content_len > 0:
                 nr = min(dlen, self._content_len)
-                chunk = "".join(data[:nr])
+                chunk = data[:nr]
                 self._content_len -= nr
                 data = []
                 
diff --git a/gunicorn/util.py b/gunicorn/util.py
index 352679b5..54740421 100644
--- a/gunicorn/util.py
+++ b/gunicorn/util.py
@@ -90,19 +90,15 @@ def close(sock):
         pass
   
 def read_partial(sock, length, buf=None):
-    if buf is not None:
-        if len(buf) >= length:
-            return buf
-        else:
-            length = length - len(buf)
-            
-    tmp_buf = ctypes.create_string_buffer(length)
-    l = sock.recv_into(tmp_buf, length)
+    if buf is not None and len(buf) >= length:
+        return buf
+
+    tmp_buf = sock.recv(length)
     
     if not buf:
-        return tmp_buf[:l]
+        return tmp_buf
     
-    return buf + tmp_buf[:l]
+    return buf + tmp_buf
 
 def write_chunk(sock, data):
     chunk = "".join(("%X\r\n" % len(data), data, "\r\n"))